Emerg Infect DisEmerging Infect. DisEIDEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-6059Centers for Disease Control and Prevention4378502ET-210410.3201/eid2104.ET2104EtymologiaEtymologiaVaricella Zoster VirusEtymologia: Varicella Zoster VirusVaricella Zoster VirusAddress for correspondence: Michele Augusto Riva, University of Milano Bicocca, via Pergolesi 33, IT-20900, Monza, Italy; email: michele.riva@unimib.it42015214698698Keywords: etymologiavaricella zoster virusvirusesvariolachickenpoxherpes zostershinglesVaricella Zoster Virus [var″i-sel′ə zos′tər vi′rəs]

A member of the family Herpesviridae, varicella zoster virus (VZV) is named for the 2 main diseases (chickenpox and herpes zoster [shingles]) it causes. Varicella (Figure) may be a diminutive of “variola” because it was considered a mild form of smallpox. “Variola” was coined by Rudolph Augustin Vogel in 1764 and is possibly derived from the Latin varus (“pimple”) or varius (“speckled”). Herpes zoster derives from the Greek terms herpein (“to creep”) and zoster (“belt”). Not until the twentieth century was VZV recognized as the cause of both these diseases.

Legend: Electron micrograph showing varicella zoster virus.

Suggested citation for this article: Etymologia: varicella zoster virus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015 Apr [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2104.ET2104

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